I had a minor bout of shingles a few months ago, my wife has just been diagnosed with shingles recently, we are both in our early thirties.

I'm going nuts with worry as I had an unsafe ' encounter 1 year ago, when the condom broke with a prostitute. The prostitute in question is from an area where they get tested on a quarterly basis for STD's by the government.

I'm too scared to get tested now, and my question is,
should I take this case of shingles as a hiv symptom in the ight of it occurring in both of us?
my job is very stressful and I thought that was why I had it, but my wife ? how did she get it?? is it normal to get shingles at this early stage of the disease??

Regards

Very scared.

Response from Dr. Feinberg

Shingles does occur in healthy adults, but it's quite an unusual coincidence that you are in your 30s and both of you have had it recently. I recommend that you both get tested for HIV. If your tests are negative, you'll be relieved and then you can stop doing stupid things like visiting prostitutes. Government-mandated STD testing for prostitutes does not guarantee that they don't have HIV or viral hepatitis. Why take such a risk for both you and your wife?

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